Appreciation
by drewandian
Summary: written for the uoa tourney.


**Title: Appreciation **  
**Rating:PG (mild language)**  
**Word Count: 734**  
**Pairing and/or Characters: Daniel Jackson/OC**  
**Warning/spoilers:none**  
**Synopsis: Daniel Jackson and a young new archeology recruit are trapped in a cave in; Daniel uses the opportunity to impart some lasting wisdom.**  
**Disclaimer: Not mine…just having fun with them**

Daniel realizes that he should know by now that there is no such thing as a "simple mission" – even if it is, by nature, a simple archeological mission. If even one member of SG-1 is going, it will be anything but simple.

Of course, there really isn't any good way of explaining that to young Dr. Olivia Moss, the young archeologist and recent SGC recruit who has had the misfortune of drawing her first off-world mission with Daniel.

He starts to feel bad for not warning her before they came through the gate that anything that _can_ go wrong on this mission inevitably _will_. Her bright eyed excitement just reminded him a little too much of his own those first few times through the gate and he couldn't bring himself to rain on her parade.

Now, he thinks, he should have.

"Crap!" Olivia exclaims, and Daniel can hear the panic creeping into her voice. The panic that used to be so familiar to him.

Their simple archeological mission has dissolved into a cave in, stranding Daniel and Olivia in a small, dark room. They have only their individual canteens and a few power bars between them. Their air supply is limited and their flashlight batteries will most likely die right before they're rescued by Jack, Sam and Teal'c.

It strikes Daniel that somewhere along the way; this has all become the norm for him. For Olivia, it's a real emergency. She hasn't learned yet that SG-1 nearly always gets out of these scrapes hardly any worse for wear.

Daniel also knows that she hasn't yet learned that you only truly appreciate what you have until it's gone. Something he's learned, repeatedly, the hard way.

This is not an ideal classroom, but Daniel decides to make sure that Olivia comes away from this experience with more than just the panicky feeling she has deep down in her belly right now.

"It is the attempt to see the Light without knowing Darkness. It cannot be." Daniel mutters, casting a sidelong glance at Olivia as she continues to rummage through her pack almost frantically.

She stops, turns to look at him, eyes wide and shining in the light from their flashlights.

"_Dune_, Frank Herbert." she answers. "But I never really understood what he was talking about." She sighs and lets her body sag against the wall behind her. "Some astounding brainiac I am, huh?"

Daniel settles next to her, relieved to see that she's begun to relax a little. The last thing he needs is her panicking and hyperventilating when their air supply is short to begin with.

"I never really understood it either." he confesses sheepishly. "Not until I'd logged a few missions with SG-1 anyway. But this…this is pretty much exactly what he was talking about. There are so many things in our lives that we just assume will always be there…light, water, food, air. And as soon as those things are taken from us, against our will, we panic."

Daniel grinned slightly when he saw her cheeks flush. "Don't be embarrassed; I was the panicky one. It was a bit of a joke with Jack for a long time. But I grew into my position at SGC and you will too."

"So, I should be thankful for this experience? For the opportunity to realize just how much I appreciated unlimited air and water?" Olivia asks sarcastically.

"Well, yes. On some level anyway. I've suffered a lot of different losses in my time as a member of SG-1 – some harder to bear than others. And the most important thing I've taken away from it all is the knowledge that as long as I have faith in my team and the hope of being saved, I'm doing all right." Daniel chuckled when he saw her roll her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Jackson. I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I don't see how I can be glad that I've been stuck here with little food and water and a diminishing supply of air. Maybe I'll understand it better if we get out of here, but for now, I'm reserving judgment."

Daniel shrugs; realizes that she'll eventually come around, just like he did. He grins when he hears the sounds of rocks being moved outside the room.

"Another thing I've learned – SG-1 can be counted on to swoop in at the last minute and save the day."


End file.
